Midnight in Nomaani's Garden

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The shuttle ferrying her to Carshoulis had been decidedly more comfortable than the ones she normally traveled in.

The invitation from Taataani Meorrrei to spend a few days with her had been met by the usual fare; the usual excuse of 'time permitting'. Should it've come as any surprise that an entire week of required R&R had been thrust upon her? Of course not. It was her way more often than not, and s'Il so many times fell upon that poor excuse to divert herself away from so many invitations. She had perhaps used it up? Or more likely, the woman that had sent the invitation was in such a place that she could make the time appear. And like it or not, Loklorien found herself whisked away from her ship, escorted to the Cluster for... she had no idea.

And it was that that slightly worried her, while at the same time caused a measure of anger to well up from within. She had lines to watch, and drops to make. She had lost herself in the duties of her post and the necessities of her position out of some effort to survive. Her children offered brief respite, and the few times that she saw Zem were often marred by unfortunate happenings. Boz Pity was still fresh in her mind, and though there had been a reawakening of sorts, there was still duty. Duty to the Alliance, and to her ship. To the countless eyes of those above her watching her every move.

She was a mynock on a wire, walking that thin line while somehow managing to dodge the cannonfire that was fired at her.




Slowly she stood, after the shuttle had landed. The normal space sickness tabs she always kept on her person had been depleted after the third waypoint, and moving cautiously to the opening boarding ramp, the Lupine couldn't help but place a hand to one of the support struts, leaning against it in relief at finally being on sold ground once more. She'd not brought much with her, a single duffel with an extra change of uniforms and a single set of civilian clothes. This was taken up by the Cizerack attendant that had accompanied her.

Sunlight burst in through the growing opening, and blinking, s'Il took a few deep breaths, not quite ready to make the trek down the ramp. At least the gentle breeze that met her was welcomed, and she breathed deeply.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Holding a pose this long ought to be some manner of creative punishment. Taataani Fai'sheea Igaarrai Meorrrei wasn't a particularly over-active person, but this amount of imposed sedentary state had long since abandoned the realm of charm.

"We arre nearrljy done, Rrou'a Barronesss." her portrait artist assured as she continued to peck at the large canvas with a brush. Her tedious work remaining infuriatingly out of the Senator's own sight.

"jI sshould hope sso." Taataani replied, mindful to be restrained with the movement of her mouth, or any other part of her for that matter. Even her wandering tail had been reigned in, with only the last few inches and the tuft allowed to lethargically trace at her ankle. At least she could stay seated for this, there was her golden lining. If she had to endure three hours on her bare feet, she'd paint the rest of the picture herself with the artist's blood.

Still, endurance was daunting enough. The mantle and garments she wore were at least seven layers thick, and even though most of those were light silk, it still caused enough perspiration to trickle down the small of her back and from the under-side of her breasts down her belly. Then there was the jewelry. Literally pounds of it. The rings, the bangles, the necklaces, the earrings, and even the jeweled House Meorrrei head crest - only released from it's velum and hardwood case with the most serious of reasons. It was weight that had seemed inconsequential when put on, but now Taataani could feel it's gravitational insistence at the base of her neck and her ears. At least there was no makeup applied with which to further suffocate her. No, that was the allure of the ritual. To be painted as a Rrou'fai should be - wearing the finery of a dozen star systems and a city's wealth, but leaving the person within those trappings to be painted in unflattering reality. Women of quality who had spent years hiding their crows feet, double chins and other such betrayals of age paid a great deal of du'arri to have painters expose these faults on gigantic pieces of canvas, so that Cizerack hundreds of years later could see that they were very much mortal creatures.

And so Taataani continued to pose. In her right hand, a goblet of wine she could not drink. In her left hand, a spear with which she could not threaten this common artisan to hurry up already.

Kirro approached, keeping a respectful distance. Taataani ventured to track him with her eyes, leaving her head irritatingly immobile.

"Come, sspeak."

He was, among so many other talents, a husband with discretion. After a reluctant nod from the painter, he approached the dais upon which his lady reclined, whispering into her ear.

"Rrou ss'jIlancjy hass arrrjived."

What rotten timing. Taataani had thought she'd be done with this ordeal an hour ago. If the painter was true to her word, perhaps this would be as small an inconvenience for the both of them as possible.

"Ssee herr jin."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She'd insisted on a brief stop to the fresher, the contents of her stomach finally rebelling thoroughly enough to insist upon removal. Certainly not flattering in any way, but the Lupine was beholden to her own faults, and she obeyed the whims of her own weaknesses. At the very least, her escort was cordial enough about the affair, and displayed no outward signs of disgust at her sudden need to empty her gut. After all, it would be better served doing so in private rather than at the feet of Taataani herself. And for that, s'Il was exponentially grateful.

Her business in the fresher took a minimal amount of time, and lifting her head from the toilet, she gave a last clutch to the porcelain sidewalls before heaving herself back to her feet. Her eyes closed, and she reached out to depress the button to flush, and sidestepping, let her head dip low.

The sink faucet was turned on, and bringing a few handfuls of water into her mouth, swished. She spit, then repeated the process another four times. There was never anything graceful about emptying one's lunch from the same direction it'd originally come from, but she was in some small form determined to make the attempt at glossing over her weak stomach.

A look up to the face in the mirror. A sigh.

Why couldn't she just be on Schwartzweld? Alone, with her children and Karrnage? Left to enjoy the simple joys of quiet days?



When she left the fresher, her escort was still waiting.

"Thjis wajy," he gestured.

And she followed. Led through the villa of Taataani Meorrrei, s'Il felt out of place. It was opulent and richly furnished, with bright colors of red and gold. Even the inconsequential things were lavishly accented, with vibrant character and life.

She felt so vastly out of place, her uniform at least providing her some level of constrained comfort.

And as the double doors to what she guessed was a sitting room opened, the s'Il couldn't help the instinctive tug at the bottom edge of her duty jacket.

Spotting Taataani was no hardship; the other woman was seated before a magnificently large window, draped in who-knew-how-many hundreds of credits worth of finery. A portrait artist paused in her work, turning to look silently at the new arrival.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Ja irra korra'nai, Suun'da'rrou s'jIlancjy."

Taataani maintained her damnable pose, somehow filling the room with her patrician lilt without breaking the scene.

"Don't make jyourrsself comforrtable, jI am asssurred jyou won't be long jin wajitjing."

If the artist was paying attention to the casually-flung barb, she didn't make any indication. Indeed, she seemed to be painting completely in the zone.

"Can Kirro offerr jyou rrefrresshment frrom jyourr trravelss?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Feeling slightly more than awkward, s'Il stood for a few more moments in the threshold before finding herself once more. She gave a light cough, then stepped further inside.

"I'm fine, Rrou'fai."

She bit her lower lip, a small tick that lasted but a fraction of a second. A drink would be nice, she had to admit, but so soon after emptying her stomach, the Lupine was loath to tempt the will of her damnable frailties past what they would be willing to handle.

"Thank you, though."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani's ears skewed only slightly at Loklorien's words. There was a time in which Rrou'fai would have been the appropriate title to use in this conversation. She wondered if the decision to use her familial title rather than that of Senator was done out of their past association, or if the use of it now showed an inappropriate level of familiarity. It was a blurry enough line to ignore, no matter. She had once been merely a Rrou'fai the way Loklorien s'Ilancy had once merely been a Jedi. Decorum deferred to friendship.

"jYou have a djissagrreeable colorr to jyou, arre jyou ssurre? jI know how sspace trravel can leave one jin a wrretched sstate."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There was a certain level of tired exhaustion that met Taataani, mingled with the colors of that deeper understanding that only a Jedi could see. Her words had not been received well, and she closed her eyes. Even now, in this moment in time, surrounded by things that made her feel out of place, she now stood in a space below the woman that she'd once thought of as 'friend'. Heavily insistent friend, but friend none-the-less. It was saddening.

It also caused a hard edge to creep into her eye, and her posture to become a touch more rigid.

She was - despite the invitation - an outsider here. Foreign. Forrda. To a woman that she had once raced to the bottom of the sajoi bowl. In the back of her thoughts, it was just another thing that she had lost.

"I am fine."

An inhaled breath through her nose, and her hands wound around to find themselves at the small of her back.

"One learns to endure."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Oh, but cerrtajinljy," Taataani agreed emphatically, nodding her head in emphasis which caused the painter to rebuke the extraneous movement with an overly-respectful "Rrou'a Barronesss, pleasse."

Endure indeed. Remaining in this unnatural poise for as many hours as she had. Taataani saw her arduous plight in no less the same weightiness than Captain s'Ilancy's own soldiery concerns. "Wjith grrace, asss alwajyss."

In this moment, Taataani studied her friend's expression. Beyond the mere pallid tone of her, there was some other discomfort. It wouldn't hide from her for long.

"jI am pleassed to fjind jyou sstjill jin unjiforrm, though jI trrusst jyou brrought otherr attjirre wjith jyou. Therre jiss no enemjy to fjight herre, at leasst not the ssorrt that jI sshould rrequjirre jyourr prrofjicjiencjy jin handljing."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"I brought a change of clothing, yes."

Still so formal. But the nature of this visit was still a bit of a mystery to her. Perhaps she was too internally frustrated at being essentially ordered away from her ship? There was no distrust that Samus would handle things in her absence; indeed, she trusted him without question. But there was something more; something underlying that she couldn't quite divine. And it was that that made her uneasy. As well, the formality of everything as they stood, right now.

But, the Lupine held her head high regardless. She was an Apex, even if no one else knew. Quiet dignity held her aloft now. And though her back was straight and her words were curt, there was no denying the weight they carried.

There was sadness, too. Mixed in with the tiredness. Hidden well to be sure, but it was there for the discerning to spot.

She stood quietly then, unsure exactly of how to act or what she could possibly say. Best to simply wait, her hands clasped together behind her as she maintained her precise posture, shoulders hitched back.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"A few morre sstrrokess, and...we'rre done, Rrou'a Barronesss." the painter declared at last, taking an appraising step back.

The effect on Senator Meorrrei was immediate. Her regal posture slouched, her ears perked, and she tossed aside the decorative spear.

"Ugh...fjinalljy."

And with a perfectly good goblet of wine in her other hand, Taataani mirthfully gulped, pausing only to lean back against the padding of her high-backed chair as she let some of the slack out of the decorative knot in her waist sash.

"jI feel ljike the dead come back to ljife."

Finally able to actually see her friend from more than a glancing angle, Senator Meorrrei smiled, beckoning her to approach. Taataani met her at the periphery of her ornate chair, eager to leave it's confines. She wrapped her free arm around Loklorien while peppering the space to the right and left of the Lupine's face with a pair of air kisses.

"Sso wonderrful to see jyou agajin, mjy frrjiend."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"And you."

She wasn't exactly dwarfed by the other woman; more to the point, it was Taataani's clothing that seemed to try and swallow even her up. Apparently one person was not enough for the many layers of fine silks.

"I hope that I've not disturbed you too much."

Which was a silly thing to say, all things considered. After all, it had been the Meorrrei Matron's own hand that had brought her here.

But, the Lupine at least allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of her lips. A nervous uptick, but it couldn't be helped.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Sso modesst," the Baroness chided with a smirk, pulling back to get a glimpse of the Lupine at arm's length.

"jYou've come at mjy behesst, ne? jI thjink the apologjiess forr upssettjing the balance of the galaxjy arre mjine to gjive..."

Taataani paused in mid-statement, a thoughtful look on her face as she glanced just past her friend's shoulder.

"...werre jI jinclined to gjive them..."

The Senator's eyes returned to her Captain with a mischievous glint and a smile to match.

"...and jI am asssurredljy not. Neverr assk forr perrmjisssjion to ljive, Loklorrjien ss'jIlancjy. Take what'ss jyourrss."

The artist beyond began to pivot the large easel about, affording her patroness the first glimpse of her handiwork. Senator Meorrrei turned with an arm still draped around Loklorien's back, taking stock of the grandiose and intimidating piece of art before them.

"Perrhapss the arrtjisst'ss brrussh addss ten poundss." she replied coolly, swirling the remnants of her wine in it's glass.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il let her eye pass over the painting, taking note of the artist's style and the particular manner in which Taataani had been immortalized. It was singularly unique, and there was a certain beauty in it that drew in any who looked upon it.

"It is difficult to capture life," she began, "... and you have a fair amount. It would not surprise me if any artist in the entire galaxy would be able to do any better."

A pause, and she bowed her head in a respectful nod to the artist.

"My compliments."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Manjy thankss, rrou'a." The artist's ears raised at the reception of the foreigner's praise. She busied herself with tidying up her easel and paints, but the smile didn't diminish by much.

The bit of praise and the reception didn't go unnoticed by the artist's benefactor, who clasped a hand at Loklorien's shoulder as she appraised the work.

"jIndeed, ne? What a sskjilled arrtjissan we have jin ourr companjy. Now that thjiss matterr of patrronage jiss ssettled, perrhapss sshe could do ssjimjilarr wonderrss forr jyourr ljikenesss, Captajin."

The Senator's tail navigated around Lok's waist, continuing the friendly embrace.

"Wouldn't that be a fjittjing trrjibute?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She blinked in mild surprise at the sensation of Taataani's tail around her waist, but otherwise did nothing. She did, however, answer the matron's question.

"I am not sure that I would make a good painting subject."

In the back of her mind, the Lupine couldn't help the growing curiosity; fueled of course by a small bit of worry, at why Taataani had gone to such lengths to make sure that she spent a brief period of time in the Cluster. It wouldn't do to ask right now, but she would certainly do so once the two were in private.

"It is a nice thought, but I'm afraid I must decline."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Therre'ss that famouss Jedji modesstjy!" Taataani laughed, pausing only to take another gulp of wine.

"Ssurrvjivorr of Palpatjine'ss purrge, champjion of the Alljiance, and herro of Osssuss. Mjy frrjiend, jif everr therre wass ssomeone desserrvjing of ssuch aplomb, jit would be Loklorrjien ss'jIlancjy. Forrget pajintjingss, jI sshould fjind a ssculptorr. Sstone would hold morre fjittjing tesstament, ne?"

So she was having a little fun at her modest friend's expense. No matter. Taataani returned her attention to th painter, gesturing with her wine goblet.

"Thank jyou. jYou majy go now. Pleasse ssend the bjill."

The artist gathered up her things, making her way toward the side exit of her villa, away from guests or other people of importance. Taataani watched her leave, finished her wine, and promptly kicked out of her shoes. Now standing two inches shorter, the Rrou'fai began to dismantle before Lok's very eyes. Two of the Meorrrei husbands arrived to help their mistress out of her outer mantle and her jewelry.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Survivor of Palpatine's Purge...

... she'd been not much more than a child, running terrified for her life and desperate for safety.

Champion of the Alliance...

... she had been with the Alliance since those fledgling days yes, but had again run - yet again - into a self-imposed exile. Coming back only because her safety on her sanctuary world of Cathar had been shattered.

Hero of Ossus...

... she had been the cause. The reason that the Jedi on Ossus had been nearly destroyed.



After each seemingly lofty accolade was given, the Lupine's own thoughts could not help but internally lay bare the truth behind each one. She bowed her head, troubled but with at least enough forethought to mask her initial reactions in a nod of gratitude.

"Your words are kind."

Her mind took her back to the many busts and statues of her ancestors, littering the great hallways of her home on Schwartzweld. They had been comforting to see, to walk past. Never once had she thought to have such a thing done of her, and the thought of it was daunting in a way.

"Perhaps at a later date," she offered in compromise while sending an eye to the Meorrrei matron as her husbands went to work peeling away the layers of silks, jewelry, and other articles of clothing.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Now who was being too kind? Taataani smiled at Loklorien's deferral, knowing full well that the Jedi would be unsettled by any such ostentatious display.

"Ssomethjing trroubless jyou..." The Senator began, her blue eyes searching the Lupine's face, "...and jit'ss not the poorr qualjitjy of the fljight.

Gesturing with her hand, Taataani bade s'Ilancy to follow her to a waiting couch, where each could talk in a modicum of comfort.

"jYou'rre concerrned overr bejing rrecalled herre?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"That would be a rather large understatement, yes."

There was honesty in her voice, and not a little bit of worry.

"I made sure that Koensayr-Meorrrei was paid in full from Thrule's accounts, for my ship... "

Which was a silly concern perhaps, but it was one that she wanted to be sure was addressed. The Lupine had taken pains to transfer every last credit from her dead husband's numerous accounts to offset the cost that Taataani had so graciously shouldered in good confidence.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani reclined against the richly-upholstered couch, and waved off her friend's hand-wringing.

"jYou'rre not herre to ssettle accountss, Loklorrjien ss'jIlancjy. Even jif jyou djid owe monejy overr the prroject, jI'd conssjiderr what jyou've done to be a ssujitable charracterr rreferrence to prrovjide an extentjion."

For the next moment, Taataani watched Lok's demeanor with careful eyes. Her smile dimmed a little.

"Brreathe. When wass the lasst tjime jyou djid anjythjing that wassn't jin sserrvjice to ssomeone orr anotherr? jYou'rre tjirred. No, exhaussted."